Patent 8678405 was granted and assigned to JTEKT on March, 2014 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
When a motor vehicle is steered, as turning reaction forces from the road surface, for example, rearward radial loads are applied from rear wheels to corresponding end portions of a steered shaft via corresponding knuckles and corresponding tie rods. A motor vehicle steering system includes first and second counter load application mechanisms that apply counter loads against the radial loads to the corresponding end portions of the steered shaft. Each of the counter load application mechanisms includes a motion conversion mechanism that converts torsional motion of the corresponding end portion of an axle beam caused by a ground contact reaction force of the corresponding rear wheel via the corresponding knuckle and a corresponding king pin into, for example, forward motion of the corresponding end portion of the steered shaft.